Title: A Revolutionary Approach to Insect Protein: AI-Driven Farming
As the team leader and executive at Full Circle Biotechnology, Mr. Collins oversees a thriving community of twenty million black soldier fly larvae. This unique company purchases earthworms to replace animal protein feed in Thailand’s shrimp and pig farms. Located in a compact indoor facility in central Bangkok, they are making waves in the world of insect protein.
The pectiniphora larvae thrive in warm, humid, and dark environments, feasting on all kinds of fruit and vegetable waste from food and beverage processing. These waste products are then blended with live probiotic bacteria and mushrooms, transforming them into a powerful product called Energipower.
Mr. Collins emphasizes that Energipower is a genuine and eco-conscious alternative to soybean-based animal feed, which has been linked to the destruction of South American forests. Full Circle Biotechnology takes pride in their facility’s utilization of dry distillers’ grains and animal fat. They argue that their unique feed production process has only one-tenth of the carbon footprint compared to traditional soymeal.
Research suggests that insects consumed as larvae have significantly lower carbon footprints compared to other dietary insects, primarily due to their natural food waste diet. However, the carbon efficiency of the insects we raise diminishes if they are unable to properly digest their feed. Studies have also found that certain varieties of soybean meal result in lower carbon emissions.
Mr. Collins highlights that Full Circle’s feed contains 70% protein, while soy feed only contains 40% protein. This indicates that Full Circle’s product is not only richer in protein but also offers more energy. Since 2019, Full Circle has experienced substantial growth, expanding to 49 farms in Thailand with a team of 14 dedicated personnel. Their ambition is to continue growing, although they face fierce competition from soybean feed, which is available at a lower price.
However, Full Circle has found a solution to overcome this challenge through the implementation of AI-driven insect farming. By utilizing artificial intelligence, they have managed to cushion the feed price and achieve more cost-effective production. This technology enables computers to learn from past and current data, optimizing farming techniques in real-time. Factors such as temperature levels, food quantity, floor area space, and accurate larvae count can be efficiently managed with AI.
According to Mr. Collins, AI significantly speeds up the trial-and-error process, allowing for the fine-tuning of insect production methods. However, it is crucial to regularly evaluate all processes to ensure the optimum production method is achieved without compromising the well-being of the insects.
AI serves as a powerful toolkit for advancing insect farming, as it processes vast amounts of data and understands the behavior of insects. This technology opens the door to extracting more nutrients and consistently delivering large-scale, tasty crop yields. Furthermore, Full Circle utilizes monitoring software to efficiently collect technological data. However, the AI upgrade also involves a self-instructing approach, enabling the system to drive itself and revolutionize the construction of insect farms.
Mr. Collins envisions a future where AI technology takes insect farming to new heights, utilizing various sensors and processing terabytes of data. He believes that in certain situations, humans may not be to blame or may not need to take action. For instance, flies instinctively create green ribbons to defend their mating spots. They seek out green surfaces to secure a section of the sky.
Full Circle Biotechnology, with its AI-driven approach, is at the forefront of the insect protein revolution. By harnessing the power of technology, they are transforming the way we produce animal feed, creating a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional methods.
